Will she get the role?

Copyright Keith Kenney, 2011

From the International Women’s Association, Susanna heard about auditions for Sleeping Beauty. We went to the Radisson Hotel, completed some paperwork and then Susanna went to three rooms for three tryouts: singing, dancing, and acting. The dancing audition included a clapping challenge. A choreographer clapped her hands in a certain rhythm and then everyone had to repeat the rhythm, which is easy, if you only need to clap 5 or 6 times, but not so each if you must clap 15 or 16 times. I may volunteer to be the theater’s photographer.

The charity show is put on by volunteers who are in Tbilisi working as English teachers, at NGOs, or as independent business people from various countries as well as Georgian members of Tbilisi International Players.

Sleeping Beauty will be a British pantomime or panto, which combines the story of good conquering evil with song, dance, jokes and slapstick. Pantomimes are usually during the run-up to Christmas to help get everyone in the festive mood.

Sleeping Beauty director, Juliette Zaiser, said: “I want this to truly be a family show and to be as true to the traditional form of panto, as possible. So, of course, we will see cross-gender casting and dressing, happy ending resolution, localized humor, opportunities for the kids to chime in (maybe even come on stage), ’baddies’ and obviously the good guys” (Georgia Today, July 22, 2011).

Copyright Keith Kenney, 2011